The course will improve students’ overall proficiency in writing and reading, using English as the medium of instruction. Extensive practice in reading academic texts drawn from a variety of non-technical sources will be provided. Writing skills will be improved through intensive practice in sentence, paragraph and essay level analysis and composition. Grammar commentary and practice will be provided at appropriate times. Computer assisted instruction will be used to facilitate growth in English reading and writing skills, using such tools as Internet searches, spell-checker, and writing templates.
Test-taking skills will be improved by means of regular practice in standard English tests such as the TOEFL. An Integrated Project component will assist students in developing connections between all phases of study in the Intensive English Program and also will develop students’ awareness of the practical dimension of language in the community.
General Objectives:
The course provides students with intensive classroom instruction to build up their English skills whereby they can enroll in regular academic degree classes. Weekly conferencing with instructors in Reading and Writing will assist students in gathering increased instructor assistance in area-specific weaknesses. Students will be introduced to all four English communication skills in a variety of integrated situations encouraging expanding their vocabulary, structure usage, reading skills, improving, developing their basic academic study abilities through English and providing basic keyboard and computer applications skills needed for academic course work.
Active reading
Identifying genres
Getting the main idea
Analysing words
Guessing vocabulary from context
Metaphor and simile
Bringing world-knowledge to reading tasks
Recognising topic areas
Recognising structure
Recognising tone
Recognising patterns of logic and argument Drawing inferences
Identifying fallacious argument
Identifying incomplete argument
Identifying underlying assumptions
Reading for specific information
Reading a variety of academically-oriented texts to identify genre and topic
Reading for specific information
Reading as preparation for writing
Critical reading
Monitoring and controlling grammatical structures at all levels of text
Monitoring and controlling argument structure at all levels of text
Gathering and managing information for academic writing
Defining and writing for a given readership
Revising of first and subsequent drafts for a final copy
Paraphrasing and Summarising written texts
Paraphrasing and Summarising oral texts
Writing the paragraph
Writing the short informal essay
Writing about a personal experience
Writing a letter of application
Writing report of a survey